The Right Path to Konohagakure
by PeinKunx
Summary: Ever wondered how two notorious S-Class criminals simply walked into Konohagakure? Follow Itachi and Kisame in their journey to Konohagakure. Rated T - swearing and mention of illegal substances.
1. 1: The Mission

**A/N: Hi everyone! This is the first chapter of my first story. I hope you like it and if there are mistakes, feel free to tell me about them!**

**Chapter 1: The Mission**

It was a cool day, with fresh green trees shading the narrow, golden footpath. Birds of bright colours like yellows, reds, and blues sang from various branches. A breeze would whisper past the leaves every now and then, disturbing the trees and sending a ripple across Itachi's Akatsuki cloak.

Kisame listened to the crunch of small stones under his feet, and peered past Itachi to see whether there was any sign of life ahead of them. The path and the forest stretched on for miles. He sighed and continued to trudge along, wondering when they'd find what they were searching for.

Before they'd set off along the path, they'd stopped at a dumpling shop, and although he'd eaten a lot, Kisame couldn't help but feel hungry again. He could imagine arriving back at the base and eating grilled shrimp, skewered with onions and red and green peppers, as well as being seasoned with salt and pepper, but he quickly banished the image before his mouth started to water.

Whilst they'd been at the dumpling shop, they'd received a message from Pein, ordering them to head to a specific place somewhere in this forest. Itachi held the paper in his hand, following the directions carefully.

Only, they'd been walking for hours.

Kisame swallowed. "Are you sure we've gone the right way?" he asked, unsure as Itachi squinted at the paper.

"I'm positive," he replied. "I'm just following what's on the paper."

_Or what you think's on the paper_, Kisame thought.

"It's just, we've been walking for a while," he prompted.

"I'm following what's on the paper," Itachi repeated.

Kisame sighed and walked quicker, trying to look over Itachi's shoulder and see what was on the paper, but he couldn't get close enough. He gave up, and checked the path again, only to be disappointed once more.

Itachi stopped abruptly, and Kisame bumped into him.

"Kisame," Itachi sounded bored. "Pay attention. I think we've arrived."

"Should I check?" Kisame asked hopefully.

"We turn right," Itachi declared, his hearing suddenly selective.

Kisame solemnly looked to his right, hoping there would be a small café or restaurant where he could have a drink and a small snack, but he was met with thick shrubs, looming trees and what looked suspiciously like brambles. Again, he questioned Itachi's judgement.

However, before he could object, Itachi strode towards the mess of leaves and thorns. Kisame had no choice but to follow, carefully picking his way through roots and branches, trying desperately not to trip. Itachi ducked under a low branch, Kisame following uneasily behind. Kisame wished they were back on the footpath.

He could feel plants everywhere. Leaves on his face, branches poking him from all directions and thorns gently tugging at his Akatsuki cloak. He almost reached for his back for Samehada to tear the plants from his path.

"We're here," Itachi announced from up ahead. "Kisame?"

"I'm right behind you," he answered through gritted teeth, snapping a small tree out of his path and ducking under a thick branch.

Kisame was thoroughly disappointed.

They stood in a small clearing that had a river running through it. The grass swayed in the wind, and the only relief Kisame had was the absence of twigs sticking into his body. However, a river was not what he had in mind when he'd travelled this far.

"Are you sure this is the place?" he asked sceptically.

"Yes," Itachi insisted. "It says in Pein's letter that we should find 'a space with a river running through it'."

"Let me look," Kisame said and held out his hand.

"I'm serious," Itachi argued. "Pein actually said-"

"Just let me have a look," Kisame interrupted. "I _can _read."

Itachi wordlessly handed over the paper. Kisame investigated each sentence Pein had written, only to find that he was wrong and Itachi was right; this was the spot they'd been instructed to go. Sullenly, he handed the paper back to the smug, young Uchiha man.

"What now?" he asked, moodily.

Itachi looked at the paper closely. "Astral projecting."

Kisame looked around. It seemed safe, considering no other Shinobi would go to such lengths to battle their way through an army of shrubs. He chose not to argue, and sat down beside the river when Itachi did.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his mind rather than his body. Astral projection felt weird the first time you used it, but Kisame was used to the way his body would lose all sense of feeling, sight, sounds, smells and taste, as well as movement. He moved his chakra to his brain. The strangest moment was when your mind left your body. It felt like being stretched and twisted and turned and flipped and rolled and pulled and pushed and lifted and dropped one after the other, finishing with falling as your mind arrived at its destination.

When Kisame opened his eyes, his body's eyes remained closed. He was in the Akatsuki hideout, his eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness to see the only members currently present were Pein and Zetsu. Pein shimmered various colours, as all astral projections did, apart from his eyes, which remained intense and focused on him and Itachi. The only indication of Zetsu's presence was a vague, dark shape in the distance.

Kisame looked back at Pein.

"Leader," Itachi addressed. "We did as you asked."

"You did it in good time," Pein said. "Now that you're here, your mission is to find the Nine Tails Jinchuriki and obtain it."

Kisame hid his surprise. Pein was ambitious for wanting to start with the Nine-Tails, considering it was the most powerful of the Tailed Beasts. However, he said nothing.

"Of course," Itachi replied after a few heartbeats. "What is known of the Nine Tails?"

"Very little," Pein admitted. "But it goes by the name of Naruto Uzumaki. It resides in Konohagakure. Be as quick as possible."

"We will," Itachi said with certainty, and the two of them withdrew from the astral projection.

Kisame opened his eyes and was back in the dreadful forest. He looked at Itachi, who had opened his eyes. For a moment, they sat there, and then Itachi stood.

"We ought to start heading to Konohagakure straight away," he decided.

"I agree," Kisame sighed.

Konohagakure was far away, which promised more walking.

_On the bright side, Konohagakure is renowned for its ramen, _Kisame thought.


	2. 2: Begin The Journey

**A/N: Hey guys, good to see you again! I know this chapter might seem completely irrelevant but I can tell you it does hold significance! Thanks for the support in my first chapter!**

**Chapter 2: Begin the Journey**

Kisame took a sip of herbal tea and checked the packet to see the brand. Perhaps he could bend Kakuzu to buy it rather than the clumpy mixture that barely passed for drinking standards he insisted on calling "tea".

"It's about time we left," Itachi announced, walking into the room.

Kisame sighed. "But I haven't finished my tea yet."

Itachi frowned. "We have a long way to go, and Pein wants us to complete the mission as soon as possible."

_Always in a rush, _Kisame thought as he miserably stood and poured the hot tea down the sink.

His idea of morning was adjusting to the first light with a cup of tea, perhaps reading a book if he had one, and letting the sleepiness leave his body. Itachi's idea of morning was waking up at the crack of dawn and then hitting the road at full pace. To Kisame, that summed up to "nightmare".

The only reason he poured the tea down the sink was because Itachi was right, as usual, as Pein had firmly instructed they be quick about capturing the Nine Tails. To Kisame, that seemed a far more difficult feat than said, and everyone else seemed perfectly relaxed about it. That wasn't the only problem. Kisame didn't even want to wonder how they would get into Konohagakure without causing too much fuss. Itachi's face was well-known there, and his own face was unforgettable.

Yesterday, they'd fought their way back to the footpath, and continued on their gruelling journey, as that was the correct way to Konohagakure. Fortunately, they'd found an inn that had reluctantly provided them with food and beds.

In return, Kisame had politely thanked the landlord and lady for their kindness, as well as cleaning his dinner plate, making his bed, keeping the bathroom in place, discussing recipes of fine cuisine with the landlady and telling the landlord interesting stories of his life and journeys, thus gaining their respect, whilst Itachi left for his room without acknowledging them and left everything behind for them to clean up. His behaviour was appalling, and antisocial. It gave a bad name to the Akatsuki. "Youth these days," the landlord had said. Kisame had agreed.

Now, as they were leaving the door, the landlady handed Kisame a basket of freshly baked cookies covered in a plain, pink cloth, and also a simple travel bag to carry them in, and then they were on their way once more.

Kisame took a bite from one of the biscuits and sighed with happiness. It was a soft taste of chocolate and a faint spice mixed together to create the perfect treat. He folded the cloth back over the biscuits and carefully put the basket inside the bag.

He felt eyes watching him, and turned his head to see Itachi staring at him in disapproval.

"What?" Kisame asked.

"Carrying those biscuits adds extra weight, thus slowing you down, thus slowing us down," he nagged. "You should just eat them all or leave them."

"Actually, I intend to savour them for the journey there and the journey back," Kisame huffed, defensively. "They taste _brilliant_, Itachi. I'm not about to consume such beautiful masterpieces in one day, and I refuse to even _consider _leaving them behind."

"I don't understand what it is with you and food," Itachi sighed, but Kisame could see the faintest of smiles as he turned his head away.

The day was colder than yesterday, the breeze much sharper. Kisame pulled his bag closer to him, following robotically after Itachi. He soon found the sound of his footsteps interesting. After the inn, there had been no sign of life, once again. It was the same repetitive scenery, and even Kisame had to submit to boredom. Itachi wasn't one for amiable conversation.

Just as he was losing all hope, Kisame spotted a distant town, one that seemed to promise life, considering there were people at the gate. Kisame glanced at Itachi, but found no change of emotion in his expressionless gaze.

"Look, Itachi," he said, wondering if Itachi could see the town, or whether it looked like a blurred shape to him. "A town."

"I know," Itachi nodded.

Kisame looked away again.

"We could stop there," he tried. "It's getting late."

"We could," Itachi pondered.

"Did I say could?" Kisame said. "I meant _should_."

"I see," Itachi replied.

They neared the gates of the town. It was definitely small, and the people at the gate were no Shinobi, just mere watchmen. Kisame could see them quaking as the two members of the Akatsuki neared. One man fled, whereas the other tried to stand his ground.

"Hello," Kisame tested.

"Please don't hurt me," the man fell to his knees. "I don't want to die."

Kisame chuckled as they walked past. It was always interesting to strike fear in the hearts of the weak.

The town was very clean and with few people. Everyone looked at them, and murmured things Kisame assumed were about him and Itachi and the rest of the Akatsuki. Other than that, it seemed a pleasant place, and Kisame wouldn't have minded staying there the night.

The sun had begun to sink lower on the horizon, turning the sky a pinkish orange colour. Kisame could see the trees around the town darkening. He turned to Itachi.

"I think we should stay here the night," he reasoned. "It's dark."

_And your eyesight's bad enough. _His unvoiced words echoed around his head.

"I suppose you're right," Itachi agreed.

Kisame was glad that, for once, he was allowed to be right.

Itachi wandered through the town, searching for a place to stay that looked accommodating, yet not too busy. The only place they could find was an old looking inn that was a bit worse for wear. The wood was rotting from age, and the paint was fading from the walls. The sign was cracked and faded, so Kisame couldn't read it, and the windows were grimy. A dim light from inside crept under the door and through the windows.

"I'm not sure about this…" Kisame swallowed, having a sudden change of heart; he preferred the finer things in life when it came to eating and sleeping.

"We have no choice," Itachi shrugged. "It's too late to travel now, and we don't know where the next civilisation is. By next nightfall, we could be camping."

Kisame liked that less.

"I'll go inside and see whether we can stay there," Itachi said, and walked to the door.

He opened it and slipped inside, but the door didn't close properly, so Kisame preoccupied himself by listening to the conversation.

"Me and my friend need two rooms for the night," Itachi said.

"_You_ can't stay here," the innkeeper growled in a high pitched, scratchy voice. "Not _you_."

"Me in particular, or the organisation I belong to?" Itachi asked.

"All of you," she spat.

"Let's put this differently then," Itachi said coolly. "Either you let us stay here and we pay you, or you don't let us stay here, and we force you to give us rooms without payment. You choose."

The woman stuttered and Kisame chuckled and turned towards the door. He felt movement behind him and spun round to see a boy in rags and a straw hat racing down the street, a basket with a pink cloth covering it bundled in his arms.

More importantly, it was Kisame's biscuit basket.

"Thieving son of a-" Kisame yelled, but swallowed his sentence before finishing.

Itachi opened the door of the inn and stared in shock. "What is it?"

"Someone stole my biscuits, Itachi," he explained. "I need them back."

Itachi pulled a face. "Are they _really _that important to the mission?"

"They're important to me," Kisame insisted. "You either come or you don't!"

He turned from the inn and ran in the direction the boy had disappeared to. He could hear Itachi close behind, and felt relieved that at the moment of urgency, his comrade cared about his personal needs.

Kisame wasn't sure why he cared so much for the biscuits' welfare, but something about them called to him, and it wasn't just the taste. It went further than that.

It even went as far as saying those biscuits played a key role to the events of the mission, and as ridiculous as that sounded to Kisame himself, he was still running after a basket of biscuits.


	3. 3: Bring Back The Biscuits

**A/N: Hi everyone! Next chapter's here! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 3: Bring Back the Biscuits**

Kisame was one of those people who enjoyed the thrill of battle. He liked the feel of air resistance as he raced down the street in pursuit of the ragged boy. He liked the adrenaline pumping through his body and the eagerness to bring Samehada down on his foe and score a brilliant victory. He also enjoyed how Itachi brightened up a bit when on the hunt. The look of concentration was better than nothing.

Kisame jumped up on a building, and his comrade joined him.

"Did you see where he went?" Itachi asked.

"Towards the forest," Kisame groaned, not liking the idea of heading into the mess of leaves and brambles.

Never the less, he jumped down from the building and charged into the trees, feeling the branches furiously tug at his robes once more. It was darker in the forest than outside, and Kisame had to keep glancing over his shoulder to check if Itachi was keeping up with him or not, which slowed his progress through the forest.

Eventually, Kisame sighed and jumped up into a particularly tall tree. Itachi stood below, surveying the area. He could see no sign of movement, other than the wind disturbing the tops of the trees and howling past their trunks. Any hope of retrieving his biscuits seemed to be dwindling.

Kisame looked down at Itachi and saw that there was no sign of him. He felt cold inside and jumped down from the tree.

"Itachi," he hissed into the darkness. "Itachi, where are you?"

He stood alone, and received no answer. He shook his head. He was being ridiculous. He was one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist; a member of the Akatsuki and an ex-member of the Cypher Division. He didn't need to worry about some child.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and then wandered into the forest, straight ahead, assuming this was the direction Itachi had chosen. He heard a child laugh.

Kisame froze and then crouched into the shrubs. He crawled through the plants and squinted through the shadows, seeing an orange light flickering. He crawled closer and saw it was a blazing fire, crackling.

About twelve children were seated by the flames. All were ragged and most wore wooden masks.

A particular girl, who wasn't wearing a mask but a straw hat with cloth hanging down either side instead, with a snout-like nose was snorting with laughter. Kisame spied the thief, a boy holding the basket in his arms. It appeared untouched.

"He walked right past and didn't see us!" the girl hooted.

Kisame suppressed his own laughter. _Praise him for trying._

"I swear he didn't look like the one I took them from," the boy insisted. "The guy I took them from was _way _bigger."

The boy also held his arms out wide, much wider than Kisame actually was. He scowled from his shrub, but that was when he noticed a pair of eyes opposite; a pair of eyes which looked directly into his own.

_Itachi_, he thought. _So he had seen them after all…_

Kisame's gaze drifted back to the children at the fire. Now that the boy had spoken, the others had turned their attention to him. Now they were more likely to want the biscuits.

"Say, what did you get from him anyway?" the snout nosed girl asked.

"Biscuits," he moved the cloth to reveal Kisame's biscuits. Kisame bared his teeth.

Kisame looked back for Itachi and saw he'd climbed into a tree, unnoticed by the children as they identified the biscuits. Itachi looked at Kisame and held up a hand in a countdown.

Five.

"We should savour them for later," the girl replied, as Itachi reached four.

Three.

"OK," the boy covered the biscuits at two.

One.

Kisame readied himself.

Itachi lowered his last finger and jumped from the tree. Kisame charged forwards. The children panicked and the basket was dropped in their haste to get away. Kisame and Itachi glanced at each other and then Kisame smiled.

He picked up the basket and checked to see if the biscuits were good. They were fine. He stuffed the basket back into the travel bag and followed after Itachi. The two of them picked their way through the forest and then broke out the line of trees, entering the largest field Kisame had ever seen.

Kisame and Itachi were unaware of the pig-like girl standing not too far. She'd found a biscuit left on the floor, and upon taking one bite she'd realised just how important these biscuits were. Now she stood in the trees, watching them recede into the distance. Her troops were scattered, but the importance of those biscuits would regroup them, and they would take them back.

Itachi pointed ahead. "Looks like we're lucky," he said. "There's a town over there. We can get directions to Konohagakure and also stay there for the rest of the night."

"Sounds good to me," Kisame yawned. "I could do with a rest and those creepy children stressed me out."

"Agreed," Itachi said. "Hold on tight to those biscuits, Kisame. Things could get ugly."

They arrived at the town. No one blocked their way and there was a comfortable inn. The people were generally pleasant, and the innkeeper's daughter was particularly interested in Itachi.

"Do you have directions to Konohagakure?" he asked her.

She twirled a curl of brown hair and gazed at him longingly. "A day away."

Kisame was surprised. When they'd been walking Itachi had estimated a rough three days.

"The cut through the forest must have taken us further than we thought," Itachi told Kisame. "We'll stay here for the night."

"Of course," the innkeeper's daughter beamed. Her father just coughed.

Itachi headed up for his room once booked, without paying the slightest attention to her. Kisame thanked them both and followed Itachi up.

Kisame stepped into his room and sighed with relief. It was clean and fresh, with a bed waiting. He was so tired, he fell asleep holding his bag tightly to his chest.


	4. 4: On The Way To Konohagakure

**Chapter 4: On the Way to Konohagakure**

Kisame awoke the next morning, bright and refreshed. Looking out the window, he could see the time was roughly ten o'clock. Well-rested, he ventured from his room and went down stairs to see if Itachi was awake yet. He was.

He was seated at a table, with a finished cup of tea and the innkeeper's daughter eagerly sitting beside him.

"Good morning, Kisame," Itachi said and stood.

The girl looked thoroughly disappointed. "I suppose this means the two of you are leaving?"

Itachi nodded. "Yes, we are."

She frowned and twiddled her thumbs, looking as if she were about to say something.

"Let's be off," Kisame said quickly, before she said something too awkward.

"Agreed," Itachi nodded.

They both left, the innkeeper's daughter sorrowfully looking after Itachi.

"She was annoying," Itachi said once they were out of earshot. "She insisted on hanging out with me, and she _wouldn't _stop talking."

Kisame swallowed, trying to think of words that would be appropriate. Very rarely did Itachi strike up conversation, and even then, conversation was mainly about work and duties rather than his personal life.

"Hmm," he nodded thoughtfully, no words coming to him.

"Are OK, Kisame?" Itachi asked. "You've been quiet."

"Quiet? Me?" Kisame wondered if Itachi thought _he _talked too much as well.

Itachi shrugged. "Those children didn't bother you, did they?"

"Bother me?" Kisame frowned. "No; no, they didn't."

"Very well," his comrade looked away.

Kisame considered about those children. Maybe Itachi was right. Thinking about them now made him wonder whether there was something going on about them, the way they'd worn those hats and masks. However, Kisame couldn't pinpoint anything and he hadn't recognised any of the children either.

The two of them were travelling on a vast footpath that stretched across the field they were on. Kisame suspected they were near to where Kusagakure, the Hidden Grass Village, was situated. The innkeeper's daughter had estimated them to be a day away from Konohagakure, which meant a long walk along the field path and perhaps even blisters.

Kisame wondered if he'd brought blister plasters; he couldn't remember if he'd taken them with him or not. He checked his pockets underneath his cloak, but found no blister plasters.

An hour turned to two, and then three, and Kisame had almost had just about enough when the day turned to for the worse.

"Hey, you!" a squeaky voice snarled from behind.

Kisame and Itachi turned to see a girl standing on the footpath with six other children with her. They wore masks, apart from her and a boy who Kisame recognised as the theif, but they all wore matching straw hats. He wondered what they were doing here, and checked over his shoulder to make sure no one was taking his biscuits. There was no one behind him.

"What?" Itachi asked harshly.

Kisame wondered if his comrade recognised them, since he could roughly estimate that they were standing too far for Itachi to clearly see their faces.

"You stole our biscuits and we want them back," the girl hissed.

Kisame stepped forward, annoyed how she could confront them and claim that they were "her" biscuits.

"I think I can contradict you there," Kisame held up a hand. "Originally, they were _my _biscuits, and your little gang took them from _me_, so I think we should understand and agree that they were never rightfully _yours_."

He gave her a condescending smile. He didn't like annoying brats like this one.

The girl glared at him. "You don't even need them," she pointed rudely at him. "We have to fend for ourselves out in the woods and any food is good enough for us. We need those biscuits way more than you do."

"They're _just_ biscuits," Itachi sighed.

"_You _could say that," the girl snapped.

"And they're not _just_ biscuits," Kisame turned on him as well. "I've tried one; they're a perfect recipe, pure delight with chocolate and that pinch of herbal fantasy."

Itachi gave him a sullen look.

"_Not _drugs," Kisame pinched the bridge of his nose. "There are other herbal spices that are not illegal substances."

"I tried one as well," the girl smirked. "And now that I've tasted them, I want them back."

"You're not desperate," Kisame rolled his eyes. "If you were desperate I would be able to see your bones and you'd have sunken in little faces, but all of you seem fairly well-fed. If anything, you should be looking for better clothing."

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Bring it on, fish stink."

It had to be one of the worst fish insults he'd ever heard in his entire life, and yet for some reason, it really dug down into Kisame's bones.

"_Fish stink?" _he said incredulously. "Fine then, you little shit; you just picked a fight with the wrong guy. Step back, Itachi."

He shoved the travel bag that contained the biscuits into Itachi arms. The young man stepped back, as if he expected things were going to get ugly.

Kisame pulled Samehada from behind him and grinned. These children wouldn't stand a chance against him. Once he'd shredded their stupid leader the rest of them were likely to flee.

He was an incredibly skilled Shinobi; so skilled he'd earned the rank of an S-Class criminal, and these children were barely formidable compared to others he'd fought in the past.

Not only had the brat lied and sneered at him, she'd also walked all over his pride, bringing up his appearance like that, as well as attempting to make a dig at his smell.

If anything, Kisame smelt better than her, considering he bought the finest smelling soaps from a merchant he knew very well. He'd asked Sasori for his opinion as well, and his reaction didn't suggest the soap had smelt of fish. He remembered Sasori's words exactly.

"_Oh, that's divine, Kisame! You _have _to tell me where you got that from!"_

Kisame looked the girl in the eye as she drew out a simple kunai. Although her chakra wasn't anything to brag about, (in fact, barely anything at all), Samehada hadn't fed in a while, and Kisame didn't mind this girl dying any time soon.

"Do your worst," he smirked. "Shark bait."


	5. 5: An Idea Is Formed

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thought I'd post this today rather than Christmas Day, (I hope you all had a good one), but here it is! The next installment!**

**Chapter 5: An Idea is Formed**

The girl ran straight for Kisame, kunai raised in attack. He could see she was clumsy by the way she moved, her feet hitting the ground hard and her defences low. Personally, Kisame liked to play with an opponent. It was much more enjoyable that way.

He sidestepped her easily and planted a foot in her side, sending her flying. He gently shook Samehada so the wrapping slipped off to reveal his beloved sword. The other children quaked in fear. He noticed one had already ran off, which left five and the girl.

"Shark skin blade," Kisame explained meanly to the frightened faces. "It doesn't _cut _through flesh, but rather _shreds _it instead."

He grinned as another child fled. A hand touched his shoulder firmly and assertively. Kisame glared down at Itachi. Although only seventeen, Itachi had a way of getting people to listen to him.

"Kisame…" he sounded disappointed. "We shouldn't be wasting our time on these children."

"They've mocked and stolen from me," Kisame snapped. "I won't be taken for an idiot."

"They're only children," Itachi explained. "By launching an attack on them, you only make yourself seem more of the fool."

Kisame gritted his teeth together. He hated it when Itachi put on his better-than-thou act.

"There's a much cleaner way of dealing with them," Itachi continued. "Just leave it to me."

Kisame sighed. He knew Itachi had a point. Kisame wasn't a bully, and battling children was, to some extent, bullying. He wrapped Samehada up again, much to the sword's protests and then folded his arms.

"Go on, then," he said to Itachi.

Itachi stepped forwards just as the girl was getting to her feet. She dusted herself down and then glared at Itachi, who was now standing closer as an attacker would. She ran towards him instead with her kunai, as if hoping to get a better shot at him. Kisame smugly knew she wouldn't.

Itachi locked eyes with the girl. His stare was intent, his eyes red, and Kisame knew that the Sharingan had taken effect.

The girl stopped mid-run, her small pig-like eyes widened in shock. Kisame could only wonder what Itachi was making her see. Her knees trembled and her hand shook visibly, until the kunai slipped from her fingers. She fell to her knees and stared numbly into space. The other children, apart from the thief, instantly fled, unsure of what had happened to their leader.

"Well?" Itachi asked the boy. "Aren't you going to run as well?"

The boy swallowed, and then slowly approached. He stood beside the girl, who was a shaking mess, sweat running down her face. He went down on his hands and knees in front of Itachi.

"I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused," the boy apologised. "She gets carried away. You should keep your biscuits. We don't have a lot, but we can give you our hats as a way of saying sorry."

"What do they symbolise?" Itachi asked.

"We're the leaders of our group," the boy explained. "We're the ones who wear the hats. I guess handing them over is a sign of respect."

Itachi frowned. "I don't think we need-"

"We want the hats," Kisame interrupted and plucked the hat from the girl's head before inspecting the hat. "You don't have head lice, do you?"

The boy blushed. "No, sir."

"Good," Kisame put on the hat. He liked how it shaded his face.

The boy stood and handed his hat to Itachi, who placed his on his own head. Kisame was glad that the girl had lost her leader's hat because she had messed with him. He couldn't wipe the smugness off his face.

"Here you go," he heard Itachi saying.

He looked to see Itachi handing the boy a biscuit.

"Itachi, what are you doing?" Kisame gaped.

"How old are you?" Itachi asked the boy.

Kisame scowled. He hated being ignored.

"I'm twelve," the boy said.

"You would be the same age as my brother," Itachi frowned. "I wish you the best."

Itachi turned and started walking away. Kisame awkwardly frowned and then trotted after him.

"Th-thank you, sir!" the boy called after them.

Itachi handed the bag back to Kisame, who checked how many biscuits were left. There were about twenty-one. He frowned grimly, before closing the bag.

"What was that about?" he asked.

Itachi was silent for a moment. "I don't know."

Kisame sighed. He knew that trying to get information from Itachi was second to attempting to get it from a rock. He gave up there and then.

"Say, Itachi," he said. "Wouldn't it be funny if we could just walk into Konohagakure with these hats on? I bet we could. They hide our faces."

"That's a silly idea, Kisame," Itachi reasoned. "And besides, they don't hide our cloaks. These hats wouldn't be a good enough disguise in the slightest."

"Well, how about we take off the cloaks?" Kisame suggested.

Itachi just shook his head. "We'd be recognised, Kisame. Gate Shinobi are renowned for their knowledge of people's appearance. I would expect no less than the Konohagakure gate Shinobi."

"If you insist," Kisame shrugged. "Either way, I like these hats. We should keep them and see if Pein thinks we should add them as an optional item of clothing for the Akatsuki."

Itachi smiled. "We can."

It took a long time, but they reached the end of the field, and were met by the largest forest Kisame had ever seen. There were trees that stood taller than any tree he'd ever seen, shading the path dramatically, so that the few patches of light that did get through were incredibly bright.

The two of them walked quietly through the forest. It was strangely hushed, and no one else appeared to be in the vicinity. Kisame liked that. He'd had enough of people after those children. He decided there and then that he hated children full stop.

They passed a small house that, conveniently, had two rooms to rent. Itachi chose to stay there for the time being. Kisame had to remind himself that Itachi knew this area; it had been his home once. Itachi's choice to remain in the little house suggested they were close to Konohagakure.

Kisame tiredly went up to his room and lay down on the bed. He set his hat and bag beside him. He picked up the hat and admired it. He personally thought they could get into Konohagakure just wearing these. He doubted many villages were incredibly conscious of the Akatsuki logo at the moment. However, he knew that Itachi had learnt to be cautious, and he would be careful about this as well.

Kisame closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.


	6. 6: The First Attempt

**A/N: Hi, everyone. The next chapter's finally here (as I normally post them earlier in the day!) I hope you like it.**

**Chapter 6: The First Attempt**

Kisame followed Itachi, still tired from the long journey they'd had yesterday. Itachi was walking swiftly, and at this time in the morning, it was difficult to keep up with him.

Itachi stopped on the path and turned to Kisame. "We're almost there," he explained. "I suggest we move through the trees, but not in the branches. The Leaf Shinobi will expect most attackers to travel to Konohagakure from above."

"So we'll take the different approach," Kisame liked Itachi's idea.

"If we don't manage to get in today, we can always head back to the house," Itachi said. "However, I don't think we'll need long."

"I don't know, Itachi," Kisame frowned. "Konohagakure is one of the Five Great Nations. It'll be much more protected compared to other places."

"And I understand that," Itachi shrugged. "But although I said gate Shinobi were skilled, I doubt they'll be able to overpower us."

They continued their walk down the path, Kisame after Itachi. Somewhere along the way, Itachi stepped into the trees and moved low through the bushes. Kisame awkwardly followed, struggling as he wasn't as small as Itachi.

They neared the great gates of Konohagakure. This was the moment where everything counted.

"What's the plan?" Kisame asked.

"I'll put them in a Genjutsu," Itachi explained. "No one will notice if they're stationary and we'll be able to just walk in."

"How will you Genjutsu them if they don't look at you?" he asked.

"Kisame," Itachi sounded disappointed. "I'll walk up to them and simply use it. Once they're under the Genjutsu, they won't be able to break free and we'll be able to walk in."

Kisame was a little concerned for Itachi. He had a bad feeling.

"At least use a transformation to make your appearance different," Kisame said.

Itachi sighed. "If you insist."

Itachi made a hand sign, and suddenly became a generic looking middle aged man with black hair and black eyes. Kisame watched as Itachi stood and walked towards the gates of Konohagakure. He listened as the gate Shinobi approached Itachi.

"What brings you here?" one of them asked.

He saw Itachi lock eyes with the man in front of him, and a few seconds passed.

"I'm sorry," the other frowned. "I didn't catch that."

Kisame saw Itachi try again, but with the other Shinobi. Nothing happened. It appeared his Sharingan wasn't working.

"I'm sorry, sir, but if you keep this up we'll have to regard it as suspicious behaviour," the first Shinobi said.

Kisame saw Itachi's expression change in realisation. He too wondered if these too Shinobi were able to overcome a regular Sharingan Genjutsu. Itachi met the Shinobi's eyes once more, this time attempting with the Mangekyo Sharingan. The Shinobi stared at Itachi dumbly, and for a moment Kisame almost jumped out, ready to admit that Itachi's methods of getting into Konohagakure were far greater than his hat disguise, when the Shinobi suddenly reached for his kunai.

"Is this Kusagakure?" Itachi asked quickly.

_Nice save, I guess, _Kisame thought.

The gate Shinobi exchanged a glance.

"No, Kusagakure was back the way you came, but turn right when the roads branch at the field," the first Shinobi said.

"Thank you," Itachi nodded and walked away from the gate. He walked past Kisame.

"Get a load of that guy, Izumo," the second gate Shinobi laughed. "What a weirdo."

"You get them all the time," Izumo replied as they walked back inside.

Kisame waited patiently for Itachi to return. His comrade did, his transformation gone, and he crouched down once more. Kisame dared look at Itachi. He was pale, his eyes thoughtful and worried at the same time.

"What happened back there?" Kisame asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Itachi's brow furrowed. "They seemed to have a thick barrier surrounding their minds which made it impossible to penetrate. The Genjutsu wasn't able to take affect due that odd barrier… It was very thick…"

Kisame frowned. "Are you sure it wasn't a barrier of thickness?"

"I don't know what you mean, Kisame," Itachi blushed. "I just don't know why my_ Mangekyo_ didn't work… Is it broken? Can it break?"

Kisame could see Itachi was getting himself in a state about nothing. He smiled to himself.

"You're still an adolescent, Itachi," he explained. "There's a lot about the world you have to learn, even if you think you know it all by now. What I was suggesting was that, maybe your Mangekyo struggles to get past stupidity. Maybe it did work, but they were just too dumb to notice, and their lack of notice put you off..."

Itachi stared in wonder and then frowned. "I'll have to think of ways to get past that. But what makes you think they're so dumb?"

"Well…" Kisame tapped his chin. "After you left, they claimed you'd acted a little strangely, but did nothing. It didn't occur to them that they should alert a Shinobi of high skill about a stranger who showed odd ways of acting hanging around Konohagakure. I'm sorry, but, you'd have to be pretty stupid to let the safety of your whole village slip past so easily. And... just look at them..."

They looked over to see the two gate Shinobi flipping kunai into the air and laughing when they came down and stuck into the ground. Kisame could see the thought process of Itachi's head.

"Yes, you're right," Itachi nodded slowly. "They should've reported it, but they didn't. And what the...?"

Kisame nodded enthusiastically. "Do we have any other ideas? If not, we could try the hats."

"I still don't think the hats will work," Itachi shook his head. "I have other plans. They might be a bit aggressive, but I think they should be effective."

"Let's hear it," Kisame said.

"Konohagakure relies on the protection and security of the many trees that surround it," Itachi explained. "Those trees hide them from potential enemies and other villages with enemy Shinobi. Konohagakure also happens to be one of the Five Great Nations, which means they've probably had many enemies over the years."

"How can we use that?" Kisame asked.

"Very easily," Itachi said. "Fortunately for us, I'm a Fire Nature Shinobi. I could use my Fireball Jutsu to begin a forest fire, which directly attacks Konohagakure as a whole and threatens their security. Whilst the Leaf Shinobi are distracted with the fire, we can get inside, since the gate Shinobi will also be needed to put the fire out, leaving a whole in Konohagakure's defence. Sound a good plan?"

"Sounds perfect," Kisame shrugged. "When were you thinking of doing it."

"Tonight," Itachi said. "We'll be undetected."

Kisame sighed. He hated night jobs. He preferred to be tucked in enjoying the warmth of his bed during the night, rather than stumbling around in the darkness, stressing about some plan. However, this mission had already taken five days and they still didn't have the Nine Tails.

Kisame knew Pein would be getting impatient by now.


	7. 7: Itachi's Will Of Fire

**A/N: Here is the next installment! Happy New Year everyone!**

**Chapter 7: Itachi's Will of Fire**

Kisame and Itachi remained in the rental house until the sky had darkened and the clock hit midnight. Although he'd rather be sleeping, he followed Itachi out into the darkness. The two of them had refined and then formulated a plan even Kisame had to admit would probably work.

The plan was that him and Itachi would split up. Kisame would wait by the left side of Konohagakure whereas Itachi would head the other way and create the fire. Then Itachi would go round and meet up with him. After that, the two of them would search through Konohagakure for Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine Tails Jinchuriki.

That last part seemed the hardest to Kisame. For starters, they knew nothing of this Naruto; what he looked like or how old he was. They could end up spending more time than necessary searching for him and get caught in the process.

Kisame followed Itachi out of the rental house and down the darkened pathway towards Konohagakure. Itachi's failure with the Sharingan and even the Mangekyo earlier that day had put him in a foul mood. For once, Itachi Uchiha was acting his age, sulking in silence, rather than speaking to Kisame about it. Kisame assumed it was because Itachi felt his young pride had been squeezed, bent and then snapped in two by a couple of idiots.

He also assumed he hadn't helped by mentioning they were idiots.

Itachi was stropping ahead. Kisame hoped it wouldn't affect their plan, but knew that Itachi would never dream of letting anything get in the way of their goal. He could imagine Pein's reaction if Itachi had ruined the mission with a hormonal breakdown.

"Don't worry, Itachi," Kisame quickly joined his side. "Your Mangekyo Sharingan-"

"Didn't work so I don't want to talk about it," Itachi snapped. "It's supposed to be an incredibly powerful Jutsu, but if any plain old idiot can bypass it with stupidity, what use is it really?"

"It's only a slight error," Kisame said patiently. "And besides, if you keep working on it, you'll probably be able to use it against idiots as well."

Itachi nodded, and Kisame could see he was cooling down a bit.

When they reached the gates of Konohagakure, Itachi was back to business. Kisame headed to his side, whilst Itachi disappeared to the other, invisible amongst the shadows. Kisame smiled. He hadn't had this much fun in quite some time. Infiltration was always amusing.

Kisame waited for Itachi, looking off into the distance for any sign of fire. It took a while, but he eventually saw a small plume of smoke rise up into the air. He averted his eyes to the gate Shinobi. They hadn't noticed it yet, but the fire would spread rapidly.

Kisame watched as the flames climbed to the top of a smaller tree. He heard commotion inside and saw some shapes flying towards the direction. He looked back, expecting the gate to be abandoned.

Except it wasn't.

The gate Shinobi remained in their position. Kisame couldn't believe his eyes. Their village was under attack, and they would be some of the few Shinobi who were awake at this time. He listened to see if they'd even noticed.

"Don't worry about it," one of them was saying. "I bet someone like Kakashi Hatake will take care of it."

"You know, you're probably right," the other gate Shinobi shrugged. "I guess we'll leave it to them."

Kisame could not believe his ears. He didn't want to imagine Itachi's rage when he discovered the gate Shinobi were too lazy to identify the attack.

He twiddled his thumbs awkwardly and jumped when someone tapped his shoulder.

"Ready to go in?" Itachi asked.

"Um…well…the thing is…well…there's a problem with…the plan?" Kisame winced.

Itachi's expression remained calm. There wasn't even the slightest flicker of emotion that crossed his face. However, his gaze slid in the direction of the gate and spied both Shinobi rooted to the ground, exactly where they shouldn't be.

Kisame saw Itachi's jaw clench, and his hands curled and uncurled into fists. He had never seen Itachi so angry. Kisame awkwardly played with the collar of his Akatsuki cloak, unsure of what to say to his comrade.

"I see," Itachi said, and when Kisame looked back at him, he was calm. "Well, in that case, I guess our second plan failed. I suggest we get down in the bushes and hide. They may do a quick search the vicinity."

"Oh," Kisame was unsure of what to make of the sudden calmness. "Yeah."

They both dropped down into the shrubs below and stayed perfectly quiet. Kisame then turned to Itachi.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"We need to make a full-scale attack," Itachi pondered.

Kisame didn't like the sound of that.

"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.

"I have a plan," Itachi beamed. "I'll create more fires to distract the other Shinobi. What you need to do is distract the gate Shinobi. You'll create various water clones and then space all the clones around Konohagakure. Your clones will use a Shark Bomb Jutsu from different directions to get the two gate Shinobi to leave the gate. The real you will sneak in and find the Nine Tails Jinchuriki."

"How will I do that without getting caught?" Kisame frowned.

"The Jinchuriki will have a high chakra, just like you," Itachi explained. "Samehada should be able to find him."

Kisame grinned and nodded. He enjoyed every time he was able to use Samehada. It made the battle more thrilling and real.

"When do we start?" he asked.

"Why, Kisame," Itachi was smiling. "We start now."

Kisame began to worry for his comrade. It had been a stressful day, what with fail after fail of all his plans, and Kisame believed that fatigue was finally taking its toll.

He didn't have time to stop Itachi, because the young man had already leapt off into the trees. Kisame stood determined. It was now his turn to play a part.


	8. 8: Attack On Konohagakure

**A/N: Hey everyone! Glad you've been liking my story so far and thanks for all the support! Here is the latest chapter!**

**Chapter 8: Attack on Konohagakure**

Kisame nodded approvingly at six clones of himself. He felt that six was a sufficient number as Konohagakure was large, but not too many since the Shark Bomb Jutsu was a large scale Jutsu. Too many clones, and that would completely flatten Konohagakure, which included the Jinchuriki, and he knew that neither Pein nor Itachi would be thrilled to hear of that.

Kisame dispatched his clones and watched as they all spread out to their places along the wall. He lifted his gaze to see that more spirals of smoke were rising into the air. He hoped Itachi would be OK, but knew his comrade wouldn't get caught any time soon.

Kisame focused on his own part of the mission. He concentrated on his clones' actions, making them create synchronised hand signs for the Shark Bomb Jutsu. He watched in awe as six enormous sharks made of water leapt high in the air.

That same awe was vanquished as each shark was met with a thick, black wall that appeared from nowhere. Through his clones' vision, Kisame could see that the walls were made of swarming insects. He shuddered. He hated bugs.

He melted down all six of his clones and ducked into the bushes. Their plan was failing already!? They'd been too brash and Itachi would be caught and then he would have to be the one to tell Pein that they'd lost a member to the Leaf Shinobi. Kisame nervously ran his hands through his hair.

Just because of some stupid bugs.

Kisame looked over his shoulder to see that most of the fires had been doused. Konohagakure was unharmed, but soaked. Water ran down the walls like tears, the only remains of his Shark Bomb Jutsu. Kisame sighed. To think it had all gone so well, and then they'd tripped at the final hurdle. Itachi was still out there; this was supposed to be their meeting place.

For what felt like hours, Kisame sat huddled by that tree, and neither friend nor foe approached him. He resented Itachi for not trying his hat idea; he'd felt good about that one. He waited some more, the tension building up inside of him. Kisame peered round the tree, and saw that there was still no Itachi.

He was just about to leave when someone dropped onto the ground beside him. Kisame's hand flew up to Samehada, but he stopped when he saw it was his friend. Kisame happily admitted Itachi was a good friend.

"Itachi!" he gasped and almost hugged him, but held himself back. Men didn't hug. Only Tobi would hug.

Itachi was catching his breath. He was covered in ash, and he was no longer using his Sharingan , but other than that, he appeared to be unharmed. Kisame sighed.

"You're OK," he said.

"I know," Itachi breathed. "For a moment, I didn't, but now I know."

"Well, that's good," Kisame frowned. "But what now? Our plan failed because the Shark Bomb Jutsu was obstructed by bugs."

Itachi was looking at him.

"What?"

"It failed?" Itachi's black eyes bore endlessly into Kisame. "As in, we failed to capture the Nine Tails Jinchuriki?"

Kisame swallowed. Itachi looked on the brink of madness. And then suddenly, he was calm again, and Kisame could tell he was formulating a plan.

"We should just return to the rental house," Itachi sighed. "Better we spend an extra day on this mission rather than getting arrested."

"Hey, don't feel so bad, Itachi," Kisame smiled. "Remember we took a shortcut along the way. Right now, we're two days _ahead _of schedule. We'll still be ahead tomorrow."

That seemed to cheer Itachi up, he stood and was about to leave when he suddenly dropped back down into the shrubs. Had they been seen?

"What is it, Itachi?" he asked.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "They've surrounded Konohagakure."

Kisame couldn't believe his ears. He looked over Itachi's shoulder and saw that the Leaf Shinobi were formulating a line, a great circle around Konohagakure. Kisame couldn't believe his eyes. They were trapped inside Konohagakure.

He didn't want to ask it, but he did anyway. "What do we do now, Itachi?"

Itachi was biting his nail. Kisame blinked. He'd _never _seen his comrade like this. Perhaps he'd have to do some of the thinking.

"I think I've got a plan," Itachi then said.

Kisame looked over at him. So far, all three of Itachi's plans had fallen to nothing. However, Kisame chose to trust in his partner a third time and nodded without saying anything else.

Itachi looked over at the Leaf Shinobi. "You need to make one more clone. That clone will go all the way to the other side of Konohagakure and start attacking from there. The Leaf Shinobi should head that way and we'll be able to escape. You need to let them find your clone."

"But if it looks like me, I won't be able to go into Konohagakure with you tomorrow," Kisame said.

"Transform it to look like that man I was earlier," Itachi said. "I'm sorry to put most of the weight on your shoulders, but your chakra far surpasses mine, and I've already used two of my Mangekyo Sharingan recently."

Kisame nodded. He understood. He created a final water clone, transformed it and then sent that one around Konohagakure. He concentrated on slipping past all the Leaf Shinobi on guard, and then stood round the opposite side. He focused on making the correct hand signs, and then both he and Itachi saw a huge Shark Bomb Jutsu flow straight towards Konohagakure. The Leaf Shinobi headed that way.

Kisame and Itachi waited until the moment was right, and then charged for the exit. Kisame felt his clone get destroyed, but he didn't mind. He just followed Itachi for the exit, and then the two of them sprinted down the pathway towards the rental house.

Upon arriving the two caught their breath and went inside.

Kisame sank to the floor and wondered if they'd be caught. Then, he heard Itachi chuckling to himself. He turned his head to look at his comrade.

"What?" he asked.

Itachi shook his head. "We got away."

"I know," Kisame said, and chuckled himself.

It would be a real downer if they got caught now.

"I'm beat," Itachi let out a breath.

"Me too," Kisame agreed.

Kisame had never had such an eventful night.


	9. 9:My Name Is Hoshigaki Kisame Hoshigaki

**A/N: Hey, everyone! After this chapter there's only two left! Thanks for all the support so far and I hope you guys like the last three chapters!**

**Chapter 9: My name is Hoshigaki. Kisame Hoshigaki.**

Kisame awoke the next morning. He was still buzzing from last night's frenzied attack. Back then, he'd been uncertain of his escaping, but now it was amusing to look back on. He stretched and even allowed himself an extra five minutes, despite his usual busy-body lifestyle.

After his extra rest, Kisame dressed and went downstairs, and saw Itachi sitting at the table, with tea that still had steam rising from it. Kisame also saw there was a cup for him. He sat down.

"Aren't we in a rush, anywhere?" he asked.

"No," Itachi replied.

"But we're often rushing around," Kisame sipped his tea – it was delicious.

"What is it you say?" Itachi thought for a moment. "It's unhealthy to be in a rush..."

Kisame was pleased that, for once, Itachi was happy to stay stationary. It gave him the time to sip his tea and drag himself from a sleepy state. The tea was nice and hot, and not too sweet.

"This is nice," he said aloud. "How did you know I like my tea like this?"

Itachi blinked. "I see and wait for you to make one every morning."

Kisame wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or offended. Instead, he sipped his tea in gratitude.

They spent awhile at the rental house, drinking tea and talking about the mission and how stupid they'd been last night. Kisame even promised Itachi he wouldn't mention what state he'd fallen into last night to any of the other Akatsuki.

Then the time for plotting came again, and the two of them sat silently at the table. Their tea was finished, and wouldn't distract them, and the house was always quiet, so the silence seemed to surround and constrict them.

"We'll have to go back," Kisame shrugged. "We need to complete this mission whether we like it or not. Have you got any more plans or should we go with mine?"

Itachi frowned. "I have more."

Kisame sat back. "Go on, then."

"The Hokage Mountain is huge," Itachi played with his cup. "It's so big that the wall of Konohagakure doesn't actually surround it. However, the Hokage Mountain is almost impossible to climb for even the most skilled Shinobi."

Kisame frowned. "Then how are we supposed to climb it?"

"Easily," Itachi shrugged. "You're a Water Nature Shinobi, so you can easily get us up there."

"Without being sighted?" Kisame's brow furrowed. "I don't think so, Itachi."

"That's why I'm here, Kisame," Itachi said. "I can use my Sharingan on the Shinobi on the Hokage Mountain. They won't be as simple minded as those gate Shinobi, which means my Genjutsu should have an effect."

"We'll give it a go," Kisame sighed.

He followed Itachi from the rental house. Instead of heading straight, they broke off from the path and travelled through the shrubbery round Konohagakure towards the Hokage Mountain. For some reason, Kisame couldn't shake the feeling that this wouldn't work either.

They both broke from the forest's edge and were met with the Hokage Mountain. Round this side, it looked vertical, although Kisame knew that wasn't possible. He looked up and pulled some hand signs.

A stream of water rose from the ground, somehow solid enough to lift Kisame and Itachi from the ground. They began to rise slowly up the mountainside. Kisame took that as an opportunity to gaze down at the scenery.

It was incredible to see the trees from above. It was a sea of green, undisturbed and frozen. The trees were so tall, some more so than others. Kisame smiled, taking in the wonderful sight. It could've been a postcard picture.

Itachi tugged at his sleeve. He turned back to the mission just as they were rising to the top of the Hokage Mountain. Kisame struggled to believe what he was seeing. A Shinobi seemed to be giving a group of children a school trip.

Itachi frowned. "I remember that guy; I don't know his name though. He was a little older than me; I think his name's Iruka, but I'm not sure. He acted like a moron at school, according to the other children in his year, but I'm not sure if he is."

"Don't worry," Kisame assured. "Just because he's not as smart as others doesn't mean he's as stupid as those gate Shinobi."

"However, he could be incredibly intelligent, which would make sneaking past difficult," Itachi pondered.

"Should we just give it a go?" Kisame frowned.

"We gave our attack last night "a go" and that ended in disaster," Itachi scowled.

"Would you rather sit here all day?" Kisame snapped.

Itachi glanced at him.

"Sorry," Kisame sighed. "I didn't mean to be rude, it's just…I've decided I really hate Konohagakure."

"We'll try again," Itachi nodded.

Itachi went first, hiding behind rocks so no one would see him. It was harder for Kisame, but he managed, ducking behind another rock, but keeping in sight of Itachi so they could communicate. Kisame was just about to go to his next rock when someone tugged at his cloak. His head snapped down.

A child looked up at him with endearing us. Kisame choked back hatred.

"Why are you hiding, sir?" the little girl asked.

Kisame's lip curled in distaste. "I'm not hiding now go away."

"But you look like a fish," she said. "And that's kind of funny. Also, you're headband's different to everyone else's. Are you from another village?"

"Go away," Kisame repeated.

The girl had to be around five years old, innocent to world around her. Her eyes widened.

"Are you a spy?" she asked.

Kisame looked down at her again. Did she know about infiltrating Shinobi? Would she tell her teacher?

"What did you just say?" he demanded.

"You know, like that really cool one in the movies who handles all the guns and makes all these witty remarks," she punched the air.

Kisame glanced over his shoulder and saw Itachi staring in horror. He looked back at the girl.

"Do you mean that super-spy who's in the movies and also happens to not be part of this dimension?" he asked.

"Yeah, that one," she beamed.

"Well then, yes," he nodded. "I'm exactly like James Bond. A spy fulfilling missions for the greater good. But I'm a spy, which means you can't tell anyone, and the mission is _really_ important, so you should _really_ let me get on with it."

Itachi was suddenly there. "What's going on?"

"She won't leave me alone," Kisame whispered.

"Hey, I recognise _you_," she said to Itachi.

Itachi froze and then looked down at her. There was no recognition in his eyes.

"You look a little bit like this boy," she twiddled her thumbs. "He's a little older than me, but I still kind of know him. His name's Sasuke Uchiha, but every girl seems to like him so I wouldn't stand a chance."

"Where's Aya?" they heard the Shinobi saying.

The girl perked up. "I'm over here, Iruka sensei."

Kisame's heart stopped. Itachi motioned for Kisame to follow, and then ran to the edge. The girl watched with huge eyes as Itachi vaulted the Hokage Mountain, followed by Kisame. They fell.

Kisame felt his heart stop, but then focused all the chakra into his feet and stuck to the mountain. He saw Itachi further down and ran down. The two of them sprinted down the Hokage Mountain and then jumped off, leaping into the trees and shrubs. They stopped for a moment.

"It wasn't a complete disaster," Kisame shrugged.

"A school trip," Itachi chuckled. "Thwarted by a school trip. Fancy that…"

Kisame frowned. "Yeah. I feel kind of stupid."

"I didn't realise my brother would become so...likeable...?" Itachi muttered from out of the blue.


	10. 10: A Subtle Transformation

**A/N: Hi, everyone! I'm really sorry this is late! I had an unexpectedly hectic weekend. Either way, the chapter is officially out, so please enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: A Subtle Transformation**

Kisame followed Itachi through the shrubs.

"You said you had more ideas?" he said.

"I do," Itachi replied. "I know I said earlier that Transformations wouldn't work against gate Shinobi, but after the poor display they showed us back there, I think a Transformation could get past those guys any day."

"I won't deny that," Kisame shrugged.

"We'll go as Leaf chunin," Itachi said. "They're less noticeable than jonin but won't be questioned so much as genin."

Kisame nodded.

"I guess after that we'll just walk in, obtain the Nine Tails Jinchuriki and then go."

"And if this plan fails?" Kisame dared to ask.

Itachi scowled. "If it fails, then we'll have to return to the rental house and call it a day. After that, I have no more ideas. Tomorrow, if we haven't succeeded by now, we'll try your idea."

Kisame smiled, pleased to hear that. He knew that throughout the whole mission, ever since they got the hats, Itachi had been trying to ignore them. To hear him admit that using the hats as a disguise was a possibility was better than nothing.

Kisame and Itachi neared the gates once more. The same two Leaf Shinobi were guarding the gate. Kisame wondered if they did other jobs, or whether the Hokage didn't allow them to since they were too…well…dumb.

Itachi transformed into a generic looking Leaf Shinobi who was likely to be chunin. He was young, but not teens. Kisame pulled the same look, and Itachi nodded to show that Kisame had gotten the appearance correct. They walked down the path, and then U-turned, so the gate Shinobi wouldn't see them step out of the bushes.

Kisame followed Itachi down the path as a different person.

The two gate guards noticed them just as they were nearing the gate. One of them walked over.

"Hey guys," he said cheerfully, preparing for some sort of protocol, but then he peered closely at them. "I swear I haven't seen your faces before…"

He then glanced over his shoulder.

"Izuma, come here!" he called over to the other gate Shinobi. "See if you know these guys."

The other gate Shinobi walked over and looked at them carefully. Kisame wondered why it would take two jonin so long to identify people. He then went on to wonder if they were jonin and how he would alert Itachi of this.

"What rank are you?" 'Izuma' asked.

Kisame opened his mouth to speak, but Itachi got there first. "Chunin."

Both guards peered at him closely.

"Are you sure?" one of them asked.

Itachi's brow furrowed. "Yes. I am sure of my own rank…"

"That's weird," Izuma said. "Because we're chunin and I don't recognise either of you."

Itachi paused. Kisame didn't know what to say either.

"Must be having a blank moment," the nameless gate Shinobi laughed.

"Agreed," Izuma said. "Can we see your ID? It's not that I don't trust you; it's just what needs to be done. Lady Hokage would murder us if she knew we were just letting people through without asking for ID."

_Lady Hokage? _Kisame thought. _Who's the Hokage now?_

Itachi didn't move and it only dawned on Kisame where the plan had completely failed. They had no ID.

Well, Kisame did have ID, and he was sure Itachi did as well. Unfortunately, his ID stated that he was Kisame Hoshigaki of Kirigakure, rather than Random Chunin of Konohagakure. It also wouldn't bode well if they saw the infamous ID of Itachi Uchiha, who happened to murder his clan seven years ago.

"ID?" Izuma prompted, his smile still there.

"You guys have ID, right?" the other Shinobi asked, growing uncertain. "If you don't, we'll have to report you to Lady Hokage, since no Shinobi from Konohagakure is allowed out of these gates without ID."

"We could either assume you're strangers trying to infiltrate Konohagakure," Izuma frowned. "Or that the pair of you are Shinobi who are unauthorized to leave Konohagakure."

"We're not either of those," Itachi protested, clearly getting frustrated by the two idiots.

"Well, then, prove us wrong by showing us your ID," Izuma said.

Kisame felt that if they weren't trying to be so secretive about the mission, then he would've pulled out Samehada long ago and diced any Shinobi which obstructed his path. However, Samehada was hidden under the robes he was wearing, and pulling him out would alert all the Leaf Shinobi. That wouldn't go down well.

Itachi frowned. Kisame knew he was stuck. Kisame was stuck as well. He didn't know how to forge ID; he was fairly sure Kakuzu would know, but Kakuzu was somewhere out there, probably hunting formidable Shinobi on his Bingo Book. In other words, Kakuzu wasn't with them.

Kisame shifted awkwardly.

Izuma reached for his communications device. "I'm going to alert people in ten…"

Kisame didn't like being played for a child. He knew that they would attack if they stood there looking suspicious, however, he didn't want to actually cause a scene that would attract the attention of this "Lady Hokage". He looked at Itachi.

Itachi seemed to crack under pressure. "Sharingan," he said.

For a moment, Kisame thought it wasn't going to work, just like last time, but then their eyes glazed over.

"Do we walk past?" Kisame beamed.

"Yes, we do," Itachi started walking, but then one of them stirred. "Leave. Leave. Leave."

They retreated to the bushes, Kisame diving in just a little after Itachi. They crawled away. He looked over his shoulder to see the two gate Shinobi scratching their heads in confusion. Kisame continued to follow Itachi, until they were a good distance away from Konohagakure.

"I guess we go with my plan," Kisame couldn't help but be a little smug.

Itachi scowled. "Yes, we do, and if you don't have another idea, we go back to Pein with our tails in between our legs."

Kisame didn't like the sound of that. He really hoped his plan would work.

Tomorrow would be the deciding factor.


	11. 11: And Hats A Rap

**A/N: Hi, everyone! This is indeed the last chapter - thank you so much for all the support and reviews! It's been so much fun writing this, and I hope you've enjoyed _The Right Path to Konohagakure_! Thank you again!**

**Chapter 11: And **_**Hats **_**A Rap**

Kisame and Itachi had crawled back to the rental house and freshened themselves up, resting for the remainder of the day. Admittedly, Kisame didn't mind that; he thought he deserved a break, since it had been non-stop work for so long.

He slept like a log, not waking once and barely waking the next morning. However, when he remembered it was his turn to pull the strings, he shot out of bed and hurried downstairs to prepare the plan. He really wanted to prove Itachi wrong and show him that the disguises could work. He also didn't want to return to Pein having failed. He knew Itachi wouldn't be thrilled if that were the case...

Kisame stayed awake for ages, for he'd actually woken much earlier than he'd thought, drinking his tea and planning out how things should go. Itachi came downstairs and took his own cup of tea. They were both silent, unable to voice their fears of this being their last chance before failure. Kisame knew Itachi would take failure hard; he'd struggled when the Sharingan, and even the Mangekyo Sharingan, hadn't affected those two idiots at the gate.

Kisame finally finished his tea, as did Itachi. They looked at each other.

"What do you think Pein will be like?" Itachi asked, playing with his cup.

"He'll be bloody furious," Kisame shuddered. "He won't let us do any missions for months, and we'll be a laughing stock. All our authority will be gone. We'll be on cleaning duty – Sasori will get a kick out of that, since _somehow_, he's managed to stay out of that his whole time in the Akatsuki."

"So have I," Itachi said quietly, possibly thinking of the horrors of cleaning duty.

"Oh," Kisame said.

That frustrated Kisame, considering he'd joined the Akatsuki _after _Itachi. He'd thought that since he'd ended up on cleaning duty for a day, then Itachi may have been on for several times. However, it appeared not. Kisame silently envied him for his ignorance of cleaning - especially the bathrooms.

"I guess this is our last chance, then," Itachi said. "Are you ready?"

"You and I both know that's a silly question to ask," Kisame said. "You can only know you're ready if you've done it before and if you can predict the future."

Itachi smiled. "Then _maybe_ I'm not ready."

They were just about to leave, when the landlady came in with a letter addressed to them. Kisame suspected it was from Pein and took it with a polite "thank you". He opened the letter.

"_Dear Itachi and Kisame,_" he read aloud. "_Zetsu has done more research and has discovered that Naruto Uzumaki is a boy of twelve years. Apparently he is loud, with bright blonde hair and blue eyes. He wears orange. You couldn't miss him. Signed, Pein._ Well, I guess that gives us our target…"

Kisame folded the letter and stuck it in his pocket. The two of them left the rental house, and then donned their hats. They lowered them to hide their eyes, and then walked down the path. It felt like the path to Hell rather than Konohagakure, and Kisame wondered if their fear for Pein was the equivalent of most employees' motivation.

Kisame walked straight towards the gates and saw that it was definitely the same two Shinobi. He kept his confidence and headed straight for the gates.

The two Shinobi walked up to greet them. Izuma and the other guys; Kisame didn't know his name.

"Well, hi there," Izuma smiled. "What brings you to Konohagakure?"

"We're travelling merchants," Kisame swallowed.

"I swear I've seen those cloaks before," the other gate Shinobi pondered.

Kisame felt his heart in his throat. "It's our business logo."

"Must be a pretty big logo," he laughed then. "We'll just have to know what's in your bag."

Kisame had completely forgotten this instalment of their defence.

"I have biscuits I was going to take to the bakery," he said, taking the biscuits out.

"What about that sword strapped to your back?" the other gate Shinobi asked suspiciously. "Can we take a look?"

Kisame put on mock offence. "Unfortunately, it needs to stay wrapped. I can't unwrap it until I reach the client I hope to sell it to. You see, it's antique, and very expensive, so damaging it just isn't an option. I don't want to take risks."

"Yeah, OK," the guy was barely listening. "So, what about you?"

"We're told to travel in at least pairs, just in case if we get attacked," Itachi explained, an old theme Pein liked them to stick to.

"Sensible," Izuma said. "Now, what about those biscuits?"

Kisame handed over the basket. Izuma peeked inside and inhaled.

"These smell delicious," he said, appearing distracted.

It gave Kisame an idea.

"Try one," he insisted. "There's plenty there, and once I sell the recipe, then the baker should have an endless supply…that is…if they choose to buy it…"

Izuma took a biscuit and bit into to it. He chewed and then his eyes widened.

"These are incredible," he gasped. "Kotetsu, you have to try one."

The other gate Shinobi, 'Kotetsu', took a biscuit and bit. He took nodded in approval. Itachi pushed Kisame on the back and they walked past, leaving the biscuits and the travel bag behind with the two Leaf Shinobi, who were so engrossed in the delectable biscuits they took no notice of Kisame and Itachi. Kisame couldn't help but notice that, this time, they hadn't mentioned ID at all... He wondered how many Leaf Shinobi had ID themselves...

They rounded the corner. Kisame felt a slow smile stretch across his face.

"Wait until Pein hears we got through with only hats," he grinned.

"I have to hand it to you, Kisame," Itachi said, looking away. "Well done. I shouldn't have doubted you."

"Thank you," Kisame shrugged. "But remember, we still have a mission to complete."

Kisame smiled. Now that they knew what the Nine Tails Jinchuriki looked like it would be more than easy to find him.

Kisame couldn't help but remember how he'd always thought those biscuits truly were special.

He also couldn't help but think that the sweet, innocent landlady who had given the biscuits to him had aided in a criminal infiltration to Konohagakure, one of the Five Great Nations.

**~ The End ~**


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